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5 thoughts on “What Does a Queen Bee Look Like?”

This is actually a carniolan queens bee. Carniolan queens are black like this one. Italian queens are light in color. Your bees appear to be hybrid italian carniolan crosses. More italian by the look of it.

From what I have been reading I think Carniolans or Russians are the best bees for our environment or some combination of both. We have a short intense season where there is no dearth from spring to fall. So it provides a good opportunities for the Carniolans to build fast and have good yields.

Also with the prolonged winter season the Carniolans supposedly have smaller clusters and are better on resources. Which should work well for Newfoundland.

Apparently they are know as a grey bee. So if you have any colonies that look like they may be good Carniolan breeding stock let me know. I may need a few eggs.

I’ve been thinking the same thing. Carniolans and the Russians are the way to go for our environment, and I think at least one of my colonies behaves more like Carniolans than Italians. I’d like to get my hands on some pure Carniolan queens.

We should see if Andrea and Paige have anything that is a little more in that field.

Also the two queens that I picked up in the fall were both pretty dark so they may be good breeding stock to start from. Assuming the nuc makes it over the winter. If they make it I will move around some of the half drone frames I have into the colonies I want to use for making a few queens with. Or should I say ues them in coloni9es ot make drone stock.